Watch with automatic winding



F. 'GUYOT Dec. 12, 1967 WATCH WITH AUTOMATIC WINDING 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 30, 1965 o x E Dem 1967 F. GUYOT 3,357,174

WATCH WITH AUTOMATIC WINDING Filed NOV. 50, 1965 S'Sheets-Sheet 2 i /ll LLLIII Dec. 12, 1967 F. GUYOT WATCH WITH AUTOMATIC WINDING s Sheets-Sheet Filed Nov. 50, 1965 United States Patent Office 3,357,174 Patented Dec. 12, 1967 3,357,174 WATCH WITH AUTOMATIC WINDING Fred Guyot, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, assignor to Fabriques des Montres Zenith S.A., a company of Switzerland Filed Nov. 30, 1965, Ser. No. 510,653 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Dec. 10, 1964, 15,938/ 64 6 Claims. (Cl. 5882) The present invention has for an object a self-winding watch having an oscillating mass controlling a differential which activates directly the conventional going train and the conventional motor spring in order to cause the latter to absorb, or, to deliver thereto, the difference between the energy produced by the mass and the energy used by the watch. This watch is characterised by the fact that the differential device is inserted after the motor spring and before the last wheel and pinion element of the going train,

This arrangement simplifies in a revolutionary way the going train, first, because the differential takes part both in the reduction of the rewinding gear train and in the multiplying of the going train; next, because the train linking the differential to the barrel is common to the rewinding as well as to the going train and; finally, because it is possible to use ratchets and toothed barrels having a. smaller diameter. The result is an appreciable space saving which allows the use of a heavier mass as well as a barrel and regulating member of greater diameters thereby substantially improving the power reserve and the precision.

Finally, by letting the mass drive the gear train directly through the differential, without passing through the barrel which now is only a complementary source of energy, the output of the gear train assembly is increased since the loss of energy resulting from friction is thus limited. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the oscillating mass which now behaves as a weight motor, allows the smallest displacement of the watch to set the mass in movement thus making possible the driving of the train; in fact, while until now, a high threshold of energy was necessary to set this mass in movement, it is now possible to envisage the possibility of using gravity to aid in the maintenance of the oscillations.

The accompanying drawings represent, by way of example, two embodiments of the present invention.

FIGURE 1 is a non-rectilinear cross-sectional view of the first embodiment passing twice through the intermediate wheel and its pinion.

FIGURE 2 is a non-rectilinear cross-sectional view of the second embodiment passing twice through the wheel of the differential. FIGURE 3 is a top plan view showing the shape of the oscillating mass and its connection to the ball. bearing in relation to the embodiment shown in FIGURE 1.

In FIGURE 1 of the drawing 1 represents the oscillating mass which is mounted on an outer ring 2 of a ball bearing comprising a fixed ring 52 securing with outer ring 2, balls 54, the whole being secured to a bridge 56 of the Watch by a screw 50 in which bearing are formed teeth 3 controlling a reverser 4, the pinion 5 of which drives an intermediate wheel 6 of which the pinion 7 in turn meshes with wheel 8 of the differential. This wheel is mounted on a pinion 9 cooperating with three satellites of which two, 10 and 11, borne by a support 12 integral in rotation with the shaft 13 of the differential are shown in the drawings. A second wheel 14 is freely mounted on this shaft and has internal teeth 15 enmeshed with said satellites as well as external teeth '16 controlling the pinion 17 of the third wheel 18.

The third wheel 18 controls the second element 19 the wheel of which meshes with the escaperncnt element 20. Reference character 21 denotes the minute wheel, 22 is the hour wheel and 23 is the wheel of the dial train.

The differential is positioned substantially in the place of the centre wheel (in a conventional watch movement), the first element of the going train being constituted by the third wheel. The differential is positioned in the cage of the movement, and approximately on a level with the motor spring.

Shaft 13 of the differential has a pinion 24 which controls a return wheel 25 meshing with the barrel Wheel 26. The train 24-25-26 is common to the rewinding as Well as to the going train and it is noteworthy to remark that the barrel wheel has an exceptionally small diameter owing to the favourable ratio of the differential.

The ratchet of the barrel is indicated by reference character 27 and its diameter can also be reduced to a minimum since it only serves for manual rewinding and consequently is not involved in the reduction ratio of the automatic rewinding gear train. It should be noted that this arrangement is particularly advantageous because it enables the use of the room thus made available for the oscillating mass which consequently can be larger and heavier.

This watch functions as follows:

Let us assume that the spring is wound and the oscillating mass is at rest, for example when the watch is placed on a stationary support. In this case, the barrel alone maintains the movement of the oscillator and drives Wheel 25 which controls the pinion 24 integral with support 12 bearing satellites 10 and 11. Since wheel 8 as Well as pinion 9 are stationary (the oscillating mass being at rest) the satellites turn around said pinion 9 and drive wheel 14, which moves the third wheel assembly 17 and 18. The oscillating mass is not influenced by this transmission of energy owing to the reverser 4.

Let 'us assume on the contrary, that the oscillating mass has a component of movement sufficient for the upkeep of the oscillator, while the barrel is stationary. In this case the oscillating mass activates the reverser 4 and therefrom the assembly 6-7 and wheel 8 which is integral with pinion 9. The latter causes the rotation of satellites 10 and 11, since the support 12 is motionless owing to the rest position assumed for the barrel drive wheel 14- and the third wheel assembly 17-18. If the energy transmitted by the oscillating mass exceeds the amount necessary for the upkeep of the oscillator, the support 12 is then driven and ransmits the difference through pinion 24 and wheel 25 to the barrel which uses this energy for winding the spring.

In the more general case, the oscillating mass maintains the oscillator and contributes to the winding of the spring by means of the excess energy it transmits. This energy stored in the spring of the barrel constitutes a complementary support for the upkeep of the oscillator each time that the forces to which the oscillating mass is subjected are insufficient to directly ensure the upkeep of the oscillator. The differential gearing divides with precision the available energy in such a way as to ensure on the one hand the constant upkeep of the oscillator and on the other hand to store some of the energy for future use.

In the case where the spring is completely wound and where the oscillating mass maintains not only the oscillator but transmits its excess energy to the barrel by means of the differential, this excess energy is dissipated by the friction of the spring to the barrel in a slip spring mounting.

In the second embodiment, the differential operates in the same way as in the first embodiment but the gear train is slightly different. Thus the barrel has a toothed crown 28 meshing with wheel 29 of a member of which the other wheel 30 meshes with a wheel 31 integral with shaft 13 of the differential; this arrangement achieves a certain space saving in height owing to the elimination of the barrel wheel 26. Moreover, the teeth 3 of the mass meshes with clutch pinion 32 which controls pinion 33 either by means of its wheel 34 or by an intermediate wheel 35. The clutch pinion 32 drives differential wheel 8.

What is claimed is:

1. A self-winding watch wound by an oscillating mass comprising:

(A) a motor spring and a conventional center wheel;

(B) a going train having conventional members in cluding a first and a last member;

(C) a differential driven by said oscillating mass and operatively connected to said motor spring and to said train, said differential being disposed after said spring and before said last member of said train, said differential directly driving said going train and said motor spring; said differential having a transmission ratio such that the same acts in a reducing capacity during the winding of said motor spring and in a multiplying capacity during the driving of said going train by said motor spring so that said spring will absorb the difference between the energy produced by said mass and the energy consumed by said watch.

2. A watch according to claim 1, wherein said differential is linked to the motor spring by a gear train serving for the winding of the motor spring as well as for the driving of the going train.

3. A watch according to claim 1, wherein said differential is positioned in the place of said center wheel.

4. A watch according to claim 1, wherein said differential is positioned in the cage of said movement, approximately on the level of said motor spring.

5. A watch according to claim 1, wherein said differential comprises a satellite holder integral with a pivotable shaft, said satellite holder holding at least one satellite wheel, a first pinion mounted freely on this shaft and linked with the oscillating mass and meshing with said satellite wheel, a second pinion integral in rotation with said shaft and linked with .a barrel containing the motor spring, and a crown mounted freely on the shaft and having inner teeth and outer teeth, the inner teeth meshing with said satellite wheel and the outer teeth actuating a time indicator.

6. A watch according to claim 1 having a gear train serving for the winding of said motor spring as well as for the driving of said going train, said gear train linking said differential to said motor spring.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,104,517 9/1963 Wuthrich 58-82 FOREIGN PATENTS 331,594 9/ 1958 Switzerland.

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner.

L. MICHAEL LORCH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SELF-WINDING WATCH WOUND BY AN OSCILLATING MASS COMPRISING: (A) A MOTOR SPRING AND A CONVENTIONAL CENTER WHEEL; (B) A GOING TRAIN HAVING CONVENTIONAL MEMBERS INCLUDING A FIRST AND A LAST MEMBER; (C) A DIFFERENTIAL DRIVEN BY SAID OSCILLATING MASS AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID MOTOR SPRING AND TO SAID TRAIN, SAID DIFFERENTIAL BEING DISPOSED AFTER SAID SPRING AND BEFORE SAID LAST MEMBER OF SAID TRAIN, SAID DIFFERENTIAL DIRECTLY DRIVING SAID GOING TRAIN AND SAID MOTOR SPRING; SAID DIFFERENTIAL HAVING A TRANSMISSION RATIO SUCH THAT THE SAME ACTS IN A REDUCING CAPACITY DURING THE WINDING OF SAID MOTOR SPRING AND IN A MULTIPLYING CAPACITY DURING THE DRIVING OF SAID GOING TRAIN BY SAID MOTOR SPRING SO THAT SAID SPRING WILL ABSORB THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ENERGY PRODUCED BY SAID MASS AND THE ENERGY CONSUMED BY SAID WATCH. 